Boards

It's essentially one of your basic "List the first five songs that come up on shuffle" things but with the added catch that you have to review every song (out of 10, or however you feel). No cheating.

Should be interesting as songs you didn't know you had/don't really listen to might come up.

Here are mine:

1. Buzzcocks - Lipstick

Quite a fan of the Buzzcocks, after copying "Singles Going Steady" off my other half. This isn't one of their best, though; seems a bit pedestrian 6/10

2. Kyuss - 800

Now I do love Kyuss, but I maintain that "Blues For The Red Sun" just isn't as good as "Sky Valley", no matter what everyone else says. Anyway, this is one of the short interlude-y songs off there. Unremarkable. 5/10

3. Captain Beefheart - Veteran's Day Poppy

Trout Mask Replica is a magnificent beast of an album. This is a fine song, and reasonably conventional compared to the rest of the album. 7/10

4. Weezer - Only In Dreams

I hardly think I need write much about this. A great end to a great album. Good bassline, awesome solo. 8/10

5. The Fall - Youwanner

The chances of The Fall coming up were pretty likely. Fall Heads Roll is a damn good album, and this is one of the best off it, although it does sound like some other thing I can never quite put my finger on. 8/10

Top song: brooding and spectral verses neatly counterpointed by the unexpected brass of the chorus. Beth's voice is amazing as always. 8/10.

Autechre, "Pen Expers".

How the hell do you do a track review of Autechre? Anyway, this is from Confield, which is a great album when listened to as an album. Out of context, this seems a little ... silly? 6/10.

Why?, "Song of the Sad Assassin".

Top song, from a top album. I love the driving piano and backing vocals at the start, and then the "I'll suck the marrow out and raid your hollow bones, Yoni!" bit happens and it all goes spaced. Great song. 8/10.

The Wedding Present, "Carolyn".

I love Seamonsters, but this is probably the weakest track. The light guitars are a little at odds with the rest of the record. On shuffle, however, it breathes a little easier. A nice song, but not a classic. 7/10.

1. Smog - Dirty Pants (Peel Session). Superbly dark track of Rain In Lens. One of my favourite bits of violining ever, If I had a list of favourite violining pieces ever. This live version has no violin, but some electronic droning of some sort instead. Still interesting.
2. Slayer - Skeleton Christ. From the new Christ Illusion album. Juddery start before speeding up and steadily getting better throughout the song. Plenty soloage to rolling chugging guitar.
3. Giardini Di Mirò - Dividing Opinions??? Some indie post rocky stuff.. tis ok. Bit Short.
4. Elliott Smith - Talking To Mary. Not heard this one yet. Nice hushed melody as usual from ES, off New Moon.
5. Roots Manuva - Movements. Absolutely class hip-hop tune. Slow steady ambient beat with tight rhyme off his first album. Would but this song on my Desert Island disk I like it so much.

1. At the drive in - Napoleon solo
EPIC. THEIR MOST EPIC SONG. EPIC
THIS IS FOREVER
YEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAARGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHH

2. Fugazi - Seive fisted find
yeah pretty much your standard chuggy fugazi affair. I really like them but wouldnt count them as one of my favourite bands. I prefer the stuff off thirteen songs to the newer stuff i've heard, but besides 13 songs i've only got red medicine and repeater. Hmmmm yeah goes along nicely, nothing remarkable. I really don't get all the accolades they get but I dont really know much about that whole scene thing.

3. Arab Strap - Leave the day free
yeah again, pretty standard arab strap. Drum machine. Gritty vocals. Good lyrics. I wish he didnt exist though because he went into the future and stole how I would sing if i was a singer. Yeah I like them

4. Tom Waits - Who are you
god I love tom waits. The whole sound of that album is incredible and as usual the lyrics are fantastic and he's just full of character and amazing songwriting and WHEEEEEEEEE.

5. My Bloody Valentine - soon
Yeah not really in the mood for this at the moment but you know how it goes MBV are brilliant and all that, that's just the way.

Arcade Fire - Black Wave
One of my favourite songs on Neon Bible. I really like it when the chirpy start tips over into Win's more doomladen section.
8/10

Reuben - Scared of the Police
This is what they do best in my opinion. Compact humorous little pop/grunge pieces that lie in similar territory to a slightly chunkier version of the first Foo Fighters album.
8/10

Mystery Jets - You Can't Fool Me Dennis
I didn't even know this was on here. Not bad, reminds me of the early 80s and the mid 90s at the same time. And a less luscious Guillemots.
7/10

Jimmy Eat World - If You Don't Don't
Not classic JEW but still a very fine poprock song.
7/10

Rufus Wainwright - This Love Affair
It all sounds very eerie and mournful but it's got a bit of a stage musical vibe to it. Sounds more like a performance than someone really putting themselves into their art.
5/10

I've created a shuffle thread of my own once upon a time, but actually reviewing them makes it much more interesting.

1) Exhaust - Dither

Great brooding bass and glitchy sound but it doesn't really do anything and doesn't really work out of context of the album 6/10

2) Rites of Spring - Other Way Around

I do like this album, but I can't help thinking that Minor Threat / Fugazi do this sort of thing much better. Nice riff, but not helped by so-so production and being far too long.

3) Buffalo Tom - Sunday Night

THis is exactly what you turn to Buffallo Tom for, lovelorn vocals 'I feel so lonely I could die' sung like he means it over churning guitars. Beautiful. And 6 mins long, but doesn't feel too long. Great 8/10

4) Stars of the Lid - December hunting for Vegeterian Fuckface

I'd forgotten what ridiculous track titles these guys had! Anyway it is odd that this has popped up on shuffle as I was listening to this very album at 4am this morning. Having woken from dreadful anxiety dreams convinced I was dying, my wife tells me 'don't try to go back to sleep, listen to your pod instead'. Sensible woman. I listen to this album and straight away feel better, calm and rested. Superb 9/10

5) Tom Waits - Frank's Wild Years

This is the track, not the album, confusingly on Swordfishtrombones. I love the storytelling element of Tom Waits and although it's not a song as such, it makes me smile. I love all the little details, like what Frank drank before burning his house. And the punchline 'never could stand that dog'. Genius 9/10